Friday, January 29, 2010

The Vietnam War: A graphic history

  1. I read bought this book after my wife mentioned that it existed as I have long wanted to know more about the Vietnam War. I was only 8 years old when Saigon fell and don't remember much about the War other than the aftermath. This book was a nice introduction. I learned much. It is a pretty concise book, only 138 pages, and left me with a strong desire to learn more and read more; it would have been impossible to give a thorough discussion of the war in a short book. One of the things I liked about the book was that it put the war in perspective. It did not simply discuss the tactical details of the war but discussed public sentiment toward the war, the political situation as the war progressed in the U.S. and in Vietnam, etc.
  2. The art is pretty good. I really liked most of the drawings. The battle scenes were the weakest part I thought. The art was in black and white; not that I minded at all, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
  3. A few days after I finished this book, Debi and I were in Barnes and Noble and I bought "The soldiers' story: Vietnam in their own words" by Ron Steinman. I definitely am in the spirit to learn more about this war after reading this graphic novel.
  4. I have no earthly idea why my post has become numbered. I can't get it to stop. Why do older folks like me have problems getting computers and other technological devices to behave? Maybe someone can do a Ph.D. dissertation on that.
  5. I highly recommend this graphic novel, which was written by Dwight Jon Zimmerman and illustrated by Wayne Vansant by the way, especially if you are like me: Highly interested in learning more about the Vietnam War but currently lacking in almost any knowledge about the details.
  6. Have a nice weekend everybody.

2 comments:

Debi said...

Hon, I don't think it's *all* old folks that have trouble with technology...I think it may just be us. ;)

I'm so eager to read this book. Should probably just wait to Annie and I reach the Vietnam war in history, but I'm not sure I can wait that long. Of course, there's probably a book or two lying around the house that could tide me over until then, huh?

Jean said...

First, Rich, it's the American War, not the Vietnam War. At least that's what they call it in Vietnam. If you're interested in a bit more reading on a more personal level, I very highly recommend Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. I felt a very strong affinity for Vietnam and Cambodia, and greatly hope to return, possibly as soon as 2012.